SAi (Salt Lake City), the producer of Flexi, PhotoPrint and EnRoute software, has announced its establishment of The Intl. Sign and Printmakers Guild (ISPG) as a way to generate more sales opportunities for sign companies and digital-print makers. Additionally, SAi is setting up a website called sign.com, where end users can design and order their own signs. The ISPG website is www.signprintguild.org.
With set prices posted for signs, sign buyers would verify final designs. Guild members nearest to the sign job would be given the first opportunity to accept it. The website will have five categories of signs from which sign buyers can make their selection: Signs, Banners, Stickers, Posters and Decals. In addition
to the basic categories on sign.com, consumers can also request a quote for custom signage (that is not template-based) like vehicle wraps, engraved signs, etc. Consumers enter in basic information on what they want, and sign.com will route the quote to their nearest shops, which will contact them directly to work out the details. SAi says it’s basically a lead generator for local signshops.
ISPG membership is free, partially due to anticipated sponsorships from product manufacturers and sign associations. Guild members would only pay the 10% commission when they received a job through ISPG.
SAi has pledged to spend $1 million annually over the next three years to advertise and promote the website in major metropolitan markets.
ISPG is governed by an advisory board of eight members and a Code of Ethics its members have established and will subsequently enforce. The board is helping to set prices, levels of response and conduct criteria.
ISPG members can establish their own website presence in exchange for a 5% fee for all site transactions.
ISPG will begin accepting membership applications in early January.